How to upgrade a modified CRM WebChannel or E-Commerce application based on Java

Overview.

You are using a CRM WebChannel or E-Commerce application and modified it with the SAP NetWeaver Development Infrastructure (NWDI). Now you want to upgrade to a newer CRM Release level. This is only relevant if you have modifies/enhanced a CRM WebChannel/E-Commerce application based on Java if this has not been done these steps can be ignored.

Solution

When planning an upgrade from one CRM Release to another you need to perform some steps before the upgrade.

First create a new track for the new release. SAP strongly recommends using a new Track for release upgrades. With this approach you can avoid critical situations during an upgrade process.

The blog “Best Practices for NWDI: Track design for ongoing development”  describes possible situations that may occur during an upgrade.

The process is the following:

• Create the track with your target version
  • Create the new Track and add the software components (SCs) to it If you only modifying content from SAP-SHR* packages, then you do not need the software components SAP-CRMAPP, SAP-CRMWEB. Only if you modify SAP-CRMAPP or SAP-CRMWEB, then you also need the SAP-SHR* software components.In addition you also should maintain the build variant properties. The main used properties are:
    • com.sap.jdk.javac.source = 1.4
    • com.sap.jdk.javac.target = 1.4
    • com.sap.xlf.trim-property-keys = true
    • Also if you are using a newer NWDI, then the default JDK is not a 1.4 JDK. Then you have to set the 1.4 JDK for the build variant. The SAP Help page describes how to do it with DI 7.30.
      The javac source and target should be 6 for versions starting with 7.3x. E.g. 7.31#
    • Set the Exclude from Deployment flag for all SCs except SAP-CRMDIC and CUSTCRMPRJ (or any other SC you will place your applications in)
    • Also set the Exclude from Deployment flag to the dependencies. This can be done by
      • Enter the edit mode of the track (click on the change button)
      • Click on “Filter” (in the software components (SC) section, just right to the Define Dependencies button.
      • Some new selection/filter screen will be shown.
      • Select in the selection box Show the option “All software components” or “Required Software Components”
      • Set the “Exclude from Deployment” flag for all SCs you do not want to be deployed/shown in the system info page
      • Switch back the filter to “Developed software components”
      • Click again on “Filter” to let the filter to be disappeared
    • The initial set up of the target track is finished.
• Prepare the target version track
  • Go to your track with your current application and find out the used version
    • Go to your CMS, tab System State
    • Select one of the Components you want to import later
    • Click on Details
    • In the pop up you will see the Support Package Number and the Patch Level
  • Import the target SAP version of the software components into the track. If you only modifying content from SAP-SHR* packages, then you do not need the software components SAP-CRMAPP, SAP-CRMWEB. Only if you modify SAP-CRMAPP or SAP-CRMWEB, then you also need the SAP-SHR* software components.
  • Take the unmodified SAP archives in exact the same version used by your current application and import it into the new created track
  • The track might have conflicts caused by SAP. Resolve these conflicts as described in note 1672262.
    This step also applies if you only use one track for the upgrade.
• Finish the upgrade
  • Go to your old track and assemble your software components depending if your new track will use the same Design Time Repository (DTR) or
    • If your new track will use the same DTR then assemble the SCs with the option:
      Include Source Pointer in Archive
    • If your new track will use another DTR then assemble the SCs with the option:
      Include Modifiable Sources in Archive (More information on software component assembly can be found in http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw70/helpdata/en/46/708a9df11b0e9ce10000000a155369/frameset.htm )
  • Import the assembled SCs into the new track
  • Resolve the conflicts caused by your modifications/enhancements

  With a new track your active version will be the version from your old track.

One Example:

Let’s assume you have CRM 6.0 and you want to upgrade to CRM 7.0. We also assume your CRM 6.0 is in the track CRM60P. In that case you have to do the following:

• Create the track with your target version

• Your CRM60P Track would look like this before the upgrade:

• Create a new Track for 7.0. That track might look like this after creation:

• Do not forget to exclude all SAP Archives
• Exclude dependencies from deployment
  • Click on the button “Filter” and select in the filter the selection box entry “All Software Components” or “Required Software Components”

• Set the “Exclude from Deployment” flag on all dependent SCs
• Switch back the filter to “Developed Software Components”
• Click again on Filter to hide the filter entries again
• Prepare the target version track
  • Go to your track with your current application and find out the used version
  • Go to your CMS, tab System State
  • Select one of the Components you want to import later
• Click on Details
• In the pop up you will see the Support Package Number and the Patch Level
  • Import the SAP version of the software components into the new track
  • Take the unmodified SAP archives in exact the same version used by your current application and import it into the new created track
  • The track might have conflicts caused by SAP. Resolve these conflicts as described in note 1672262.
• Finish the upgrade.
  • Go to your old track and assemble your software components depending if your new track will use the same Design Time Repository (DTR) or not.
    • If your new track will use the same DTR then assemble the SCs with the option:Include Source Pointer in Archive
    • If your new track will use another DTR then assemble the SCs with the option:Include Modifiable Sources in Archive

• Import the assembled SCs into the new track
• Resolve the conflicts caused by your modifications/enhancements.

The upgrade is finish after the steps above.

Content provided by Iwan Zarembo.